Forever and Always
by Snowfairy1
Summary: Oneshot. Spoilers if you have nor read chapter 416! Lucy has been devastated ever since Natsu has left her and the guild disbanded. Five long years have passed and all that Lucy wants is for Natsu to come home to her. Will he come home? Or will he continue to train because of him being one of Fairy Tails biggest enemies, E.N.D.?


**Hey guys! So after reading chapter 416 I had many jumbled thoughts and feelings and couldn't really write what I wanted down but now I have kind of calmed down so I wanted to make a oneshot. Hopefully you guys enjoy:) And beware if you do not read the manga or have not read chapter 416 there will be spoilers ahead!** **Credit to for the amazing art and in no way shape or form am I taking credit for it!**

After five years you would think that I would have gotten over it, the fact that the one person who I never thought would ever leave me did just that, leave. Not even saying proper goodbye, just a little letter saying he would be back in a year. Five years have now passed and I am still waiting here like a fool for him to come back. Even after the guild disbanded I stayed here in Magnolia waiting for the day that he would come back to me, but he hasn't yet. I have thought of so many different scenarios for when he returns, one of me being angry at him, one of me just being happy that he returned but in each I feel like I'm lying to myself. _Will he even come back?_ Of course he will, Natsu has never broken a promise to me before. _Does he even want to come back? _

"Shut up!" I yelled earning me a few curious glances from the people at the restaurant that I was now working at.

A couple of months after the guild had broken up I got a job at a local restaurant so I could keep paying my rent for my apartment. And even though I hated the job, it kept me busy. It was so hard the weeks after Natsu and Happy left. Not only did they leave but the guild broke up and everyone else left to. Gray and Juvia left together to research E.N.D., Team shadow gear, Gajeel, and Pantherlily went off to train and just last year Levy informed me in a letter that they joined Sabertooth and that she and Gajeel officially started dating which wasn't a surprise to me. Laxus and co went off and from what I have heard he started his own guild which the Strauss siblings joined. Erza and Wendy wanted me to come with them to train but I declined their offer and they left to train, Erza continues to write me and recently they joined Mermaid Heel. My time with Fairy Tail was to short and I wish that we could continue being the fun guild we used to be but everyone has changed and grown, all of us have been through things that will alter our life forever. One person has stayed here in Magnolia though, he lives right next to the remains of Fairy Tail in a apartment building.

I looked up at the clock and it read 8:07, since my shift ended I threw my apron off and pulled on my jacket, grabbed my purse, then said some quick goodbyes to my coworkers. Snow was falling softly outside and the twinkling lights from Magnolias huge Christmas tree made the snow that covered the ground shine and shimmer. Magnolia was so beautiful this time of year, if only Natsu was here to see it to. I smiled as the memories of building snow men and snow fights filled me head.

"Lucy!"

I turned around quickly to be greeted by a ball of snow smashing into my face. What the... Natsu?

"Hehe sorry!"

My heart sunk as I wiped away the snow from my eyes and looked down at the little boy who had hit me and his friends laughing behind him.

My eye twitched and I bent down and scooped a large portion of snow from the ground forming into a ball.

"You brats!" I yelled as I flung the snowball at them.

"Ahh GO!" They all screamed.

I sighed as I continued walking down the sidewalk. Stupid me, of course it wouldn't have been Natsu. The snow started coming down harder and I wrapped my arms around myself and walked faster towards my destination. The crater where the guild used to be loomed ahead of me and the little apartment building next to it could barely be seen in the snow. When I got to the crater I walked down into the center of it and towards the little shrine that stood there. '_In memory of the Fairy Tail guild and the members that saved this kingdom'_ I wiped the snow off of the little picture from that sat there and smiled at its content.

It was a picture of all of us on one of the days after the grand magic games, some of the most happiest moments of our lives. Juvia was desperately holding onto a embarrassed Gray, Cana was in the back drinking, Levy was pouting next to a humored Gajeel, Freed was looking up admiringly at a annoyed laxus, Bixlow and Mirajane where teasing a flustered looking Evergreen and Elfman while Lisanna was trying to comfort them, Max was lovingly looking at his beloved broom, Erza was eating a piece of strawberry cake while Wendy and Charle eat some cookies next to her, Master was trying to look up Mirajanes skirt while Wakaba and Macoe stood behind him trying to catch a glimpse as well and Romeo looked disapprovingly at his father, and in the center Natsu was grinning as he was teasing me about something and Happy was doing his stupid 'You liiikkkee her' phrase.

I put the photo down and then dug into my purse pulling out my novel that I had just finished. It wasn't really something special that I made up but more of a retelling of all of the crazy adventures that the Fairy Tail guild had had and it ending with Natsu leaving and the guild disbanding. I put the book down and brushed off my hands.

"Merry Christmas Fairy Tail." I whispered soflty.

Next I went to the little apartment building next to the crater and knocked a few times on the door. After I didn't get a response I unlocked the door myself with the key that I had and entered the apartment.

"Hello?" I called out into the dark room.

"Lucy?" Someones old voice croaked out.

I walked into the bedroom and looked upon the old frame of a sickly man.

"Master." I said sadly as I walked next to his bed and sat in the chair besides it.

"How are you Lucy dear?" He asked smiling up at me.

"Better then you." I exclaimed. "You look terrible!"

"Yes it seems that my old age is finally catching up with me." He laughed.

I reached down into my purse and pulled out the other copy of my novel and handed it to him.

"Here is your Christmas present Master. It's my novel that I just finished, I think that you will like it." I smiled at him as I handed the book over.

"I'm sure I will... I.. I'm sorry Lucy. I disbanded the guild because I thought that everyone was going to to go on their own separate journeys and become stronger but.. but I realized that being together makes us stronger.. will you ever forgive me Lucy."

"Master I have already forgiven you ages ago."

"Then.. will you forgive Natsu?"

There was a long silence. Thinking about Natsu kills me. My heart just can't take it if I think about him to much in one day and today I haven't been able to stop thinking about him so I am at my limit. _Forgiving him? _Deep inside my heart I know that I forgave him awhile ago. That first year after he left me was miserable, I cried and cried and barely left my room. I was so angry and upset that he left me and I didn't even think about his reasons, all I could think about was the pain of being left alone. But soon after I realized that it must have been hard for him to. He had just lost his father who he had been searching for since I had first meet him. The pain that he was feeling must have been unbearable. If only he realized that I could have helped him.

"Yeah, I have already forgiven him to."

"You know he never wanted to leave you right." Master said.

"Yeah I know." I smiled softly.

"And you know that he loves you."

My heart speed up as I looked up at Master.

"What did you just say?" I breathed.

"He loves you." He repeated.

"How would you ever know that." I asked.

"Just read this. Merry Christmas Lucy." He said as he handed me a letter.

While I walked home I read the letter that Master had given me.

_Dear Gramps,_

_Old man I heard about the guild being disbanded, what the hell are you thinkin'? Fairy Tail is everyone's home including mine, now we don't have a place to come back to! Aside from that though hopefully you are still alive and doing well. Me and Happy have been doing a lot of training these past years and I think that we have become tons stronger then we were before! You will see, I'm going to knock Erza and Laxus right out when I come back! Gramps please don't tell Lucy about this letter, she would be so mad if she found out that I wrote you and not her. I tried writing her a bunch of times but I couldn't come up with anything to say. She must be so mad at me right now.. I can see her scary face right now in my mind ahaha. I just hope that she can someday forgive me for leaving her alone. I wanted to tell her so bad in person about me leaving but I knew that if I went to her and saw her there was no way that I could have left, and I had to. I had to leave to grow stronger so that I could protect everyone, so that I could protect her. There was no way that I could have brought her with me as well, she could have just gotten hurt again and I could never forgive myself if that happened. Losing Igneel hurt so much but if I lost Lucy... I don't know if I would ever be able to live at all. The thing is Gramps, I don't think I will be able to come back... ever. You know why too, you have always known. You knew that I was E.N.D. all along haven't you. I had another run in with Zeref a year ago and he told me all about it. I don't hate you for lying to me, because if I had known what I was I don't think I would have ever been able to live the way I did, love the person I love. The first year after I left to train hurt like hell. Every day all I could think about was Lucy. What she was doing, what she was thinking, how she was doing. I hated myself for hurting her, I hated the part of myself that wanted to bring her with me even though I knew that she would get hurt. She is everything to me. The way her smile brightens up everyone's days and lights up the room, the way she smells after she has gotten out of the shower, her warm bed, the way she pouts when I'm teasing her, hell even when she is screaming at me to get out of her room. I don't know exactly when I realized it but I have. I love Lucy Heartfilia. God I love her so much it hurts. But what hurts even more is the fact that I can't come home to her, not now. Once I have sorted all of this E.N.D. stuff out and defeated Zeref I will come home. I know that it is selfish but I just hope she will still be waiting for me. Take care of yourself Gramps, and look out for Lucy for me!_

_-Natsu_

It hurts, it hurts so much! Sobs erupted from within me and tears spilled all over the paper. Why does it have to hurt like this! God why does it have to be like this! My tears made my vision blurry and I stumbled along the sidewalk, clutching the paper to my chest. I could make out my apartment in the distance as I slowly made my way though the cold blizzard. My tears froze against my face and my body felt numb. Was it because of the cold or the letter? Natsu... you don't have to worry, I have been waiting for you this whole time, and I will never stop waiting for you because... because I...

"I LOVE YOU, I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" I screamed against the snow and wind.

My body dropped down unto the ground and I laid down and curled up into a ball with the letter still tightly clutched in my hand. _I love you Natsu, please come home._ Darkness started to swallow me and my eyes fought to stay open. _Don't resist it._ My eyes finally shut closed and the darkness engulfed me.

_So warm. I'm safe. _I remembered my body swaying as someone was carrying me in their strong arms. I snugled up closer to them and I could feel the heat radiating from their body. I felt so safe in that persons arm. Such a nostalgic feeling. I could sense that we had entered some building and I felt myself getting lowered down into a soft warm bed. I felt the person who had carried me climb into bed behind me and wrap his arms around me resting his chin on top of my head. Slowly my eyes opened up and I turned towards the my mysterious savior.

"Natsu?" I asked sleepily.

"Yeah Lucy, its me." He replied

"Is this a dream." I asked again.

"No." He laughed. "No, its not a dream."

"Good." I smiled and turned back around.

"Goodnight Lucy." I heard him whisper.

"Goodnight Natsu." I whispered back before falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning I woke up when I felt a cold wind enter my room that sent shivers up my whole body. Memories of the night before started flooding back to me and I jumped up quickly from my bed.

"Natsu!"

No response.

"Natsu!" I called again.

Silence. I turned towards the window that was open and rushed over to close it. But when I was halfway to the window something on my desk caught my eye. I slowly walked over and picked up the object that was set there. _His scarf._ I held it up and noticed something sticking out of it.

'_Merry Christmas Lucy.'_

I sunk down unto the floor as sobs racked my body.

"Natsu! NATSU NATSU NASTU!"

I stayed there like that for a good hour, just continuously crying over his scarf. But soon all of the tears that I had left inside me where gone and I just sat there. Slowly I rose my head to the window where he had disappeared from and a smile formed on my face.

"I will be waiting, Natsu. Forever and always."

**Oh God guys I am so sorry but I had to get that out of me. This literally hurt me to write so thank god that this will probably never happen in the manga lol, to much angst. Anyways I am really excited to see how everything turns out in Fairy Tail and can't wait for Monday's chapter:) Sorry for any grammar or spelling mistakes, I just wanted to hurry up and get this out. Well please review, it would mean so much to me! And if anyone has any requests I would love to hear them! Thanks! **


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